Home video camera allegedly shows man breaking into Ottoville house

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On November 3, 2025, a woman called the Tafuna Police Station (TPS) to report that an unknown man burglarized her home and later provided video footage from her home cameras, which led the officers to identify the suspect.

The suspect was later charged with:

Count 1: Burglary in the First Degree, a class B felony punishable by a term of

imprisonment of not less than five years nor more than fifteen years;

Count 2: Stealing, a class C felony punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed seven years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or an amount equal to twice the amount of gain from the commission of the crime up to a maximum of $20,000, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 3: Trespass, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both.

The defendant was held without bail.

According to the court affidavit, filed on Nov. 19, 2025, TPS police officers responded to a call from an individual (later identified as the caller/ victim) from Ottoville, on Nov. 3rd, reporting a burglary.

They met up with the victim, who provided a statement regarding the incident. The victim explained that on Nov. 2, at around midnight, she heard her puppy barking from outside the house. She claimed that she didn’t pay much attention to it and went to sleep.

However, on Nov. 3rd, another household member (later identified as the witness) reported to the victim that his JBL Speaker, Samsung Phone, and approximately $100 in cash were missing.

As a result, the victim reviewed her security camera footage and discovered that an unknown man had broken into her residence.

The victim also stated that the front door was unlocked which allowed the suspect to enter the house. The victim later noticed that her gold chain necklace was missing.

She then contacted the TPS regarding the incident, and later provided the authorities with video footage from her home.

The witness was also interviewed and provided a statement. According to the witness, he woke up on Monday morning and noticed something missing in his bedroom. He started looking and realized that his JBL Speaker, money, and phone were missing. He told the victim about it, and she checked her security cameras and found an unknown man breaking into the house.

The video footage showed the suspect walked from the road to the victim’s house as he observed if anyone was awake. He then entered the house “at 0056 hours and left at 0119 hours”. The unknown person was observed holding “a folding item” and a flashlight.

Police officers were able to identify the unknown suspect as Felise Lafaele, due to his having a history with the law.

After gathering information related to the incident, the officers searched for the suspect but were unsuccessful.

The defendant is identified as a 25-year-old resident of Iliiili.

[Editor’s Note: An affidavit is a written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation for use as evidence in court. It is not a court decision. Under local law, defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty by the court. ra]